DPC is a model for delivering care that returns the practice of medicine to where it began – between doctor and patient. While most primary care physicians have chosen to accept insurance and employment with corporations, some have chosen a simpler model called Direct Primary Care. At its heart, this form of care aims to improve the doctor-patient relationship by cutting out the so-called red tape of insurance and corporate medicine, which ensures more time with each patient.

In this simpler subscription model of medicine, physicians care for a select number of patients, allowing them to spend much more time with each patient. Physicians contract directly with the patient to provide: annual wellness examinations, laboratory examinations, in-office procedures, imaging, and much more. Without the added complexities of insurance requirements, most direct primary care physicians can provide superior care at deeply discounted rates.

DPC is not only for the wealthy. The subscription model provides cost savings for most medium to high-deductible plans and patients experience increased time with their physicians. As a result, they benefit from more direct and personal communication with their doctor.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, “Direct Primary Care benefits patients by providing substantial savings and a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians. DPC allows family physicians to care for the whole person while reducing the overhead and negative incentives associated with fee-for-service third-party-payer billing.”

DPC and concierge care are not the same. Concierge practices typically charge higher fees in addition to billing the patient’s insurance. They charge higher fees due to the large amount of paperwork required to do business with insurance companies, and not due to a higher level of care; an unfortunate trade-off when it comes to primary care services.